Never before in the history of civilisation have we had such resources, such scientific advancements and innovations, and so many opportunities to progress. And yet, we continue to pillage and plunder like we did in the ages gone by, writes ARNAV SAWHNY
These past few weeks have been horrible for mankind. Three tragic plane crashes with five hundred lives lost, have shaken us. The victims are being mourned not just by their loved ones, but by people across the globe. It is said that tragedy is a great unifier, and we see the world coming together in grief, helplessness and outrage at these events. One would imagine that this would be a time where the world realises the value of human life, and does its best to cherish it.
Yet, inexplicably, these past few weeks have also seen gruesome conflict. The seemingly never-ending war in Gaza has claimed close to 1,000 lives —double the number lost in the three plane crashes. Add to that the unnecessary violence in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and many other parts of the world.
This begs the question: Is the life of a nine-year-old girl reading a book aboard MH17 more valuable than that of a seven-year-old boy in Tel AvivIJ Did the 27-year-old Spanish air hostess who died in the Algerian plane crash have more to contribute to the world than the 30-year-old father of four in SomaliaIJ last night, the mothers of both the children —and many others — would have wept themselves to sleep.
Ironically, the Malaysian plane crash seems to be a direct result of warfare on the ground, bringing the spectre of mindless, unwarranted violence to the forefront. Former US President Jimmy Carter put it excellently in his Nobel lecture. “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children”, he said.
These words resonate even more deeply, as news pours in of brutal killings of innocent people, tragically caught in the cross fire. Can a piece of land, a structure of bricks and stone, a river, a desert, a town, ever be worth killing people forIJ Killing for revenge is the least justifiable one. Can taking another life mitigate the loss of a loved oneIJ
Once again, former President Carter’s words come to mind: “In order for us human beings to commit ourselves personally to the inhumanity of war, we find it necessary first to dehumanise our opponents, which are in it a violation of the beliefs of all religions. Once we characterise our adversaries as beyond the scope of God’s mercy and grace, their lives lose all value. We deny personal responsibility when we plant landmines and, days or years later, a stranger to us — often a child — is crippled or killed. From a great distance, we launch bombs or missiles with almost total impunity, and never want to know the number or identity of the victims.”
How different are we from the nomadic hordes of ages past that pillaged and plundered as they moved across landsIJ Are we really more civilised than the barbaric kings of yore who razed cities to the ground to extend their empiresIJ Modern warfare has the sophistication to destroy civilisation in the blink of an eye, and its tools are increasingly finding their way into the hands of the crudest killers.
Today, the human race seems to be, simultaneously, at the crest and trough of its conscience. Never before in the history of civilisation have we had these resources, these advancements, these innovations, to do well. And perhaps never before have we seen devastation on such a scale.
Human life expectancy has never been higher; neither have the number of deaths attributed to terrorism. Medicine and science have never been more advanced in preventing and curing diseases, but weapons of mass destruction can wipe out entire countries in the blink of an eye.
Humans have never been more connected to one another, yet so disconnected from the pain and suffering of each other. The irony of our times is that we have the potential to be the most successful and compassionate generation that lived on this planet, yet we seem hell-bent on self-destruction.
The choice lies with us. Do we want to flourish and prosper for another millennium, or do we want to spin into a vortex of death and darknessIJ Yet there is hope, as evanescent as morning dew.
Each simple and ordinary act of love and hope, each small act of courage and compassion, points to the promise that there still exists, deep within us, a core of kindness and integrity. We all know this, yet find it hard to practice. If every citizen of this world chooses compassion over violence, forgiveness over vengeance and tolerance over fanaticism, the world will be a safer and happier place.
“This is my simple religion,” says the Dalai lama. “There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”
(The author is an MBA student at the Johnson School of Business, Cornell University)